A little lovin'
by bananas.eat.grapes
Summary: Starts off towards the end of Babies & Bathwater. Very House/Cuddy centric, spots of Hameron but it plays into the story and WILL be mostly Huddy. Jealousy, flirtaciousness, and dates galore! Please Read & Review.
1. Get the Ball Rolling

Disclaimer: I do not own house. This story will contain quite a bit of dialogue from actual episodes, but it all belongs to david shore. I know I'm not the best at keeping up with updates, but I hope this one will be different and more enjoyable. Please Read and Review.

Cuddy took in a deep breath to calm her nerves, attempting to maintain that confident image she had tried so hard to build. It was hard to believe that Vogler and the godsend he was tied to had traveled this far. The plan she and Wilson had originally conjured up had slapped them both in the face with a consequence neither had expected. The two-faced man that stood before her had finally decided to show his true colors, stopping at nothing to get what he wanted: House out of the picture. With Wilson gone, she stood alone against the monster of a man she had let herself believe was a savior to her hospital. The very man that was out to destroy not only who, in her eyes, was its biggest asset, but the man she has always worked so hard to protect.

"It's the same motion as yesterday, people, same reasons. All those in favor of dismissing Gregory House raise a hand." The condescending giant took his time getting to his seat, leisurely leaning back in his chair.

Cuddy watched the hands that led up to him rose one by one, some of them glancing at her from the corner of their eyes. She kept her eyes front, though, staring determinedly at the chairman.

"Dr. Cuddy, you realize this is going to happen." He sat up and raised his chin at her.

It didn't take a scientist to figure out what was coming next. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to put her career in the hands of her staff. It was her last resort.

" I can't do it." Her heart was in her throat.

Vogler allowed himself a small smirk as he delivered the rules, "You can't abstain."

Beneath the strong wood of the table separating the two competitors, Cuddy's legs wouldn't cease to move. "I'm not abstaining, I'm voting no." As the words made their way through the room, she sat straighter and prepared to do whatever means necessary to get her point across to the others.

"You've changed your mind since yesterday? What'd he do, buy you dinner and roses? Threaten to drown your dog?" Vogler was obviously flustered, nearly bouncing out of his seat at her admission.

She allowed herself a small ounce of satisfaction before making her case. "He did his job."

"Right," Vogler sneered, "he saved another life."

"Maybe." She challenged.

"Good for him. It's great. It's not the point." He was struggling to stop the power play.

She was ready for him to try and shrug off her point, "It's what we do."

"And you could do it a lot better if you didn't have to worry about some madman running around the hospital accountable to no one!" He had lost his temper now.

Digger her heel into the floor, she remained visibly flippant, "That's not the choice you're giving us-"

"House won't listen to anyone." He cut in, before she could finish, which only added fuel to the fire.

"-And _you're_ not accountable to anybody, either! Because you think you **own** us." She raised her voice.

Vogler had heard enough. She was starting to turn heads and he wasn't going to let some woman who had no sense of business destroy what he could so easily protect. "I move for the immediate dismissal of Dr. Lisa Cuddy."

Already anticipating this move, Cuddy sat back and cautiously watched how her staff reacted to the proposal.

"She's upset, we all are." Dr. Simpson blurted out, trying to stop the madness. He turned to regard her, "Why would you risk your career to save _him_?"

Here it was, the big question. She began to stand and didn't give herself any time to consider it as her entire committee, now Vogler's committee, faced her. "If you think House deserves to go, if you think I deserve to go, _Wilson_ deserved to go, then vote yes." She forced the last part out, praying that she knew these people how she thought she did. It was her only hope. "But if you're doing this because you are _afraid_ of losing his money, then he's right! He **does** own you." She gathered her files and prepared to leave, but she wasn't finished. "You have a choice. Maybe the last real one you'll have here."

Cuddy gave Vogler one last glare, not willing to accept defeat as she turned around and walked out of the dead silent room. Adrenaline was bursting through her veins as she strut through the hospital with no real destination. With a slap she dropped her files onto the nurses' station and let her legs carry her to the stairs entrance, not willing to give herself the long ride of the elevator to where she needed to be. Her pumps felt like air at the speed she climbed the levels up to the roof. With a final burst of energy, she burst through the door and took in a huge breath of the air her lungs had desperately needed.

"Shit!" A deep, dreaded voice to the left of her announced, making her nearly jump out of her skin.

She turned slowly, already recognizing to whom the surprised voice belonged to. "House, you scared me nearly to death." She half-heartedly scolded with her hand resting on her pounding chest.

Said man didn't respond, just dropped his gaze to the heaving breasts that lay under her designer suit jacket. House took a moment to admire how soft her skin looked as it rested against some of her exposed skin; how hard she works at keeping her figure to compete with her professional nature.

"House, I'm flattered." She started in a flat, un-amused tone, "But I'm almost positive that my years here as dean do _not_ compete with One hundred Million dollars and this could be my last day here with power. You think you can _not_ be a child just this once."

She was pleading with him. He tilted his head and tried to analyze her, but only half nodded before leaning back against the wall. Wordlessly, he lifted a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket that seemed to be nearly empty and offered her one. When House saw Cuddy was a bit hesitant, he removed another from the box for himself before tossing the empty carton onto the floor.

"I'm usually not a smoker, but this week…" He left it at that, knowing that she, more than many would understand. She accepted the cigarette and leaned in close to the lighter he struck for her to catch flame. Just shortly after he lit his, they both inhale, the exhaled heavily, almost as if letting go of the last two weeks of hassles.

"What are the odds?" He asked, keeping his face forward and void of concern.

She shrugged, tapping the ashes off the tip of her cigarette. She didn't want to think about it. They continued to smoke in silence, calm and comforted in the seemingly endless space that the roof provided them. House ashed his first, but remained at her side as the sun began to fade. Cuddy threw hers to the floor and stepped on it, only to lean on House for support.

"Head rush?" He asked, chuckling knowingly. She giggled and spent a moment stealing his warmth until she was confident she could steadily walk away.

"I'll know in less than an hour." The words barely whispered past her lips as she passed through the door, leaving House to shuffle his feet and wonder where their lives were headed.

* * *

House has a record playing in the background in his office, taking a seat behind his desk and laughs as Wilson pops open a bottle of champagne.

"Cuddy is a genius, " he exclaims as he tosses a bright green nerf ball to Foreman, "convincing four people to give up a fortune to save our sorry asses." They all agree as Wilson uses their substitute mugs and cups as glasses.

Cuddy strides in, hips swaying yet shoulders slightly hunched and merely raises an eyebrow at the obvious private party.

"Dr. Cuddy!" House raises his glass to her with a bright smile, "The man of the hour." He continues to praise her as Foreman tosses the ball to their savior who fumbles to catch it. The men all cheer for her and bring the first genuine smile to her face since the horrid decision. She's glad she's won, glad for the cause, but disappointed at the cost.

"What are you doing?" She asks, trying to distract her thoughts.

"We're drinking. I would have thought that was pretty obvious." House continues to joke, attempting not to choke on his drink when she throws the ball to Chase and takes his glass right out of his hand. She raises an eyebrow, nearly challenging him to try and take it back, one of her legs standing dangerously close to his thigh.

"Well to the great champion." She states slightly sarcastically. "Saved you, saved Wilson, saved the whole team." She doesn't wait for anyone to toast before tossing back the bubbling liquid down, her throat exposed for all to see. While everyone else's eyes glance back between each other and Cuddy, House's eyes don't drift as she sets down the empty glass in front of him and bends down to face level. "Of course," she breathes into his face, "none of them would have _needed_ saving if you could actually get along with another human being."

House's function seems to cease, not breathing, swallowing, much less talk until she straightens her back and looks down at him, waiting for him to respond. "Well _thank you_, Miss Buzz-kill." Is all he can come up with.

She gave a half-shrug before walking back to his chair that sat in the corner of the room, crossing her legs. "Well, you only cost us $100 million. Could have saved some lives, could have made a few jobs, helped a few people. Yipee." Cuddy let out a small sigh, raising her stolen glass up to Wilson for a refill.

The three other people in the room continued to laugh among themselves in the cheeriness of the day. House stood and walked over to her, taking a seat on the foot rest just in front of her. "you voted to get rid of him." He reminded her, as if she had forgotten.

She drank half of the glass and let it rest in her lap, "The lesser of two evils. At least one good thing came out of it…You owe me."

Smirking and glancing down at her legs, dragging his eyes up to hers, he reached forward, repossessed his glass and downed the rest. "Can't wait."


	2. Flatter me

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Disclaimer: I do not own house. This chapter is centered on Season 1's Kids. There's a bit of Hameron but I promise as the story progresses, Huddy will heat up. Hence the Mature rating. I'd appreciate some kind of review though, to let me know how I'm doing in case I need to work on something specific. Thanks!

Sighing to himself, House stepped up to the door of his former employee, mentally guarding himself for what, to him, was going to be one of the most pointless conversations he had ever shared with her. Personally, he hadn't wanted to go through the hassle of showing up to have a face-to-face conversation he was sure she'd be too proud of to give in. His mind briefly flashed to the previous night of celebration between his staff, boss and co-worker in his office. They had spent an hour basking in the joy of a stress-free environment before Wilson took it upon himself to bring up his missing fellow.

"_So I take it you're going to ask Cameron back?" He'd asked, tossing over the nerf ball they had randomly been throwing back and forth. _

_House stretched out his legs before him, leaning some of his weight against Cuddy who still sat behind him on his Eames chair. "I think we can make it with just the three of us, actually. With my good looks, Foreman's mad skills and Chase's pretty hair, we are invincible." _

_Cuddy leaned forward, her breasts just barely making contact with his back, "There is no way I am going to risk patients' lives because you're too proud to ask Cameron back. You'll do it tomorrow morning or I'll make you pay me in clinic hours." She threatened, the tone of her voice was enough to raise the thin hairs on the base of his neck._

"_Dr. Cuddy, I'd __**much**__ rather pay you in blood."_

Shaking his head free of thoughts, he gathered the nerve to raise his cane and bang it twice against the door. He listened closely at the sudden stop of what sounded like a treadmill, accompanied by footsteps that stocked towards where he was standing. The door in front of him was yanked open, revealing a very sweaty and irritated Cameron. House took a second to take in her appearance, not one to ignore a pretty body in a tight top.

"I saw the light on." He spoke, hardly taking the time to look at her face.

She raised an eyebrow, allowing herself the satisfaction of knowing her body intrigued him. "It's daytime."

He mentally sighed, aggravated by her lack of response. "Vogler's dead." He said bluntly, but continued before she had a chance to question him, "Literal translation: Vogler, Mr. Moneybags, is gone from the hospital so things can go back to the way they were." Resisting the urge to rush her, he took a break.

Cameron put her hands on her hips and leaned against the doorway, "What are you saying?" She had kept the hope that he'd come asking her back close to her heart, but this was almost too good to be true. She didn't want to make this easy for him, she knew he'd need her.

He wasn't going to say it. He refused to say the words she was practically begging him to say to her, because even though she _was_ a valued employee, his pride was five stories **above** begging. Thankfully, his trusty pager went off just in time to save him from having to provide her with a somewhat satisfiy-able answer. House took a second to look at his cards. He knew that ignoring the pager would sate some of her anger towards him, but he also knew the fight wouldn't be over just yet.

"You should go, it's probably important." She tried to take him on a guilt trip and took a step back.

House knew he was fighting fire with fire, but he couldn't resist his ego just fighting its way through his lips, "What I'm doing now is important." What the hell, if he had to use charm, he could charm it up-get what he wants with a confidence boost. Nothing wrong with a little lovin', he thought to himself.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she brought a teasing smile onto her lips, "Why do you want me back?" The page long forgotten, she tried to drag any kind of inkling of what she dubbed his love for her out of his reluctant lips.

He almost felt guilty, picking up on her hopeful tone of voice. He glanced around him as he brought his left hand up to scratch his forehead, "Because you're a good doctor."

"That's it?"

His eyes shot up to hers, slightly surprised that she would admit, "That's not enough?"

She shook her head, placing her hand on the inside of the door, "Not for me. Not anymore." She stated firmly, before she closed and locked the door in place.

Trying not to feel too ruffled, he took the time to read his page. '_Pete Townshend-patient' _He looked up at the door, almost positive that the woman crushing on him wouldn't leave the door until he completely left her sight. He winked before turning around and hurriedly making his way out of her apartment complex and into his car. '_No way I'm missing the chance of having The Who's guitarist as MY patient.'_

* * *

The moment House stepped into the crowded clinic, he knew it had been a sham. There was no Pete, just hundreds of people swarming like ants who were soaked by the sprinklers. An overhead speaker caught his attention as it calmly instructed patients to remain calm and collected, which _obviously_ wasn't working. He made a move to leave when he saw a familiar flash of red come his way.

He had just made it outside of the clinic doors when Cuddy caught him by the arm, "Dr. House," she sung, "We need you here." Just by the look on her face he knew she was proud of her way to get him here with little delay.

House smirked and moved to give her hold on him some resistance. "Sorry, lot of sick people. I might catch something." He feigned genuine concern very well, she gave him that, but he was going to suffer with her, she'd make sure of it.

"You're a big boy now, I'm sure your immune system grew up nice and strong to fight any disease." She teased him, taking another step toward him, but holding him in place. "A judge at the campus pool center collapsed, LP revealed a virulent form of bacterial meningitis." Feeling his need to interrupt her, she abruptly continued, "2500 people were exposed. We are understaffed, stressed for time and safety and you **will** examine patients. Joe!" She turned to the security guard that stood by the exit of the hospital, "Dr. House doesn't have a blue slip. No one leaves the quarantined area without a blue slip." She raised her eyes to House's, tugging him towards the clinic and handing him a cup of pills, "You are a doctor in my hospital: act like one. Take these and I'll be checking up on you."

House grinned at her childishly as she turned and walked away from him. After he dry-swallowed the pills, he called out after her, "Doesn't that make me _your_ doctor, Cuddy?"

* * *

It was well past noon, her heels were killing her and she was starving. The patients kept coming, and due to the hospitals recent loss of funds, she had been forced to cut the jobs of the very useful nurses that could very well play a big part in calming down this disaster. Cuddy thought back to when she had run into Wilson, who had filled her in on House's and Cameron's earlier conversation. She couldn't deny the fact that Cameron's forwardness had taken her aback. She supposed now that she was no longer employed by the intimidating _'HA! Yea, right.' _Dr. that she didn't have very many boundaries.

Thankfully, before too much thought on the subject, she was stopped in her tracks by House and the remainder of his team.

"Dr. Cuddy, I am requesting to be excused from the torture you have condemned us to. We have a 12-year-old patient. Fever, rash, neck pains when her head is turned side-to-side." House cheekily smiled at her, knowing her concern for patients would work in his favor today.

A small frown presented itself on her face as she looked between the three of them, "It's not meningitis. It's going to be hard to get in a LP."

Foreman stepped forward, "We're going to have to somehow. I think we can smuggle a bed for it."

"I'll get on her blood work." Chase spoke up, ready to move, but was stopped by Cuddy.

"No, you won't." She glanced back at House, "You, sir, will research all the causes in the universe of neck pain." She didn't even attempt to mask the fact that her assignment was punishment. No one had to ask for what, it was pretty obvious to half of the hospital that the only reason Chase was around long enough for Cameron to make the decision to resign was because of Vogler's protection.

The blond stared at her in shock, "The list is, like, two miles long!"

House gave him a small nudge, "Start with the letter A. And put her on rifampin."

"Rifampin is for meningitis." Foreman argued, "You just said-"

"In case I'm wrong. It has happened." He locked eyes with Cuddy who nodded her approval before leaving the remaining two staring after her stiff form.

'_This is definitely going to be a loooooooooong day.'_ She thought to herself, struggling to squeeze through the crowded hallways.

* * *

Foreman and Chase both let their heads fall heavily onto the glass table, hopelessly exhausted. Chase didn't bother lifting his face as he started complaining, "This is ridiculous. I can't believe CUDDY put me on book watch while you get to run all of the tests and on top of that, we're short one doctor so WE get worked like dogs."

"Well, if you wouldn't have run scared to the big man for protection, Cameron wouldn't have quit." Foreman rubbed at his eyes and continued scanning through the pictures from the endoscopy. "I can't find a thing in this stupid procedure that could give us any clues."

Chase scoffed, "And what, you would've let House fire you if you were in my position?" He stood up and began pacing in the room, "Hell no. I'm sorry for what happened to Cameron but-"

"But nothing, Dr. Chase. You can't changed the past, as if you would if you could. I mistook the amount of faith in my employees. I thought with the prospect of all of that money coming in to a good cause was only going to bring staff together, not have rats running after each other." Cuddy quickly stopped his rant as she and House entered the outer office. She took a seat wordlessly in front of the TV and reviewed the footage, House right beside her. Almost immediately she pointed to a swollen blood vessel that both fellows had been too distracted to spot.

"It doesn't account for her other symptoms, but it _does_ tell us something." House rubbed his chin thoughtfully, turning to his board of symptoms.

Their silence was disturbed by the high pitched beeping from Cuddy's hip. House read the page over her shoulder and sighed with her. She stood and turned to address them, "Two more busses arrived. The girl is going to have to wait, at least until I can have you guys help me clear out the lobby." She left no room to argue as she hurried out of the room, charging to nurse the building she'd condemned to change.

* * *

Wilson and House were walking through the halls, debating what to do, or not do about Chase. Wilson, ever the good heart, strongly believed he should just end his suffering.

"It's not just me! Cuddy whipped the chain on him, too. She gave him an assignment that take even you a week to finish, just because she hates snitches!" House laughed with him, thinking back to the look on Chase's face when she had talked down to him. "Sweet, sweet revenge."

Wilson shook his head, "No, she the gossip and to be the authority, it's not just snitches. She jumps down the throats of the people who snitch on you worse than anything. I've never seen anything like it-it's like a mother bear protecting her pack." He teased House.

House chuckled, feeling at ease for the first time all day, "Nah, just when she gets slapped on the wrist for letting me run free." He laughed and nudged Wilson, "And I most _definitely_ have a pack for her."

A feminine laugh from behind them made both men stop dead in their tracks, not turning back. The woman they had just been discussing forced her body in between the best friends, turning to face them with an eyebrow cocked, "A package? For _me?_ Oh, House, you shouldn't have." She looked amused, but merely crossed her arms when she noticed they were completely focused on the cleavage her tank top provided. "They're just breasts, boys, you can look at my face."

Wilson's eyes shot up to her face immediately, House's vision not following command. "Sorry, you just don't usually see breasts like that on Deans of Medicine."

She bent down to catch his eye, knowing she was momentarily giving him a better view down her top before his eyes trailed up to hers. "Get to your patient or get back to the lobby. I don't care which, but take your partner in crime with you. I'm sure he can…lend a hand." Cuddy squeezed past them, momentarily brushing her body against theirs in the crowded hallway.

Both men took a minute to admire her stride before looking at each other dumbly. House started walking towards the direction in his office the second Wilson opened his mouth. "She was flirting with you!"

House rolled his eyes, not wanting to make anything of the comfort level that he and Cuddy had established. "Dude, you are _such_ a girl."

* * *

It was rounding 10 o'clock that night and House decided to finish his day off with one last pit stop by his very stubborn ex-employee. This time, however, he didn't spend much time outside, eager to cut to the chase and drown himself in his awaiting bottle of bourbon.

"I can't come back, I told you that." She answered him before he even got to get anything out. Her arms were crossed over her chest, resurrecting the image of Cuddy doing the exact same thing earlier that day.

"Wasn't listening." Was all he said.

She wasn't impressed, "Right."

House wasn't backing down this time. If he didn't get her to come back, Cuddy would force him through more torturous interviews than the ones he had endured earlier that day. And after he'd plead with her to stop, she'd just hire someone for him. No, this was his best option, "You want me to listen to you more? I can do that." She wasn't folding either, responding that it still wasn't good enough. "Want more money? A car allowance, better parking space?" He threw bribes out there, not really knowing what else to do.

Cameron smirked to herself, realizing she would get what she wanted, "Dinner. And not just a meal between two colleagues. I want a date."

He did a double-take, assessing her stance, expression and proposition. "You'll come back to work...if I go out on a date with you?"

"Yes."

'_Well, not exactly what I was prepared for..'_ the thought to himself, _'what do you have to lose? Go eat, she'll most likely put out, but…What the hell, it's only a date. Stop reading into it.'_ He scolded himself mentally. He was a single guy who was practically invited into the arms of a pretty blonde who seemed to do just about anything for him. "Okay, it's a deal."

She smiled and placed her hand on top of his before leaning up for a kiss on the cheek, "See you tomorrow morning."


End file.
